Councillors & Clerk
What is a Parish Council
Parish Councils were established in law in 1894, having their origins in the development of villages all over England during both Saxon and Norman times. Villages in those past days were ruled by the Lord of the Manor with little national control. Sometimes the villages all met to make decisions which affected the whole community. Gradually it seems that parish priests and sometimes school masters joined the Lord of the Manor to become an effective ruling clique and it was probably from this that the first Parish Councils were formulated.
Parish Councils are the first tier of local government in England and Wales and are closest to the people. They serve the smallest area and are responsible for the most local of matters. In England they are called Parish Councils (or Town Councils if they cover a largely urban area). In Wales they are known as Community Councils. In both England and Wales they are elected units of local government whose activities are controlled by Acts of Parliament.
A Parish Council is democratically elected to serve a defined and local area. Members serve voluntarily and are unpaid Elected Representatives
The Responsibilities of a Parish Council
Parish, Town and Community Councils in England and Wales have a number of basic responsibilities, including: representing the whole electorate within the parish; delivering services to meet local needs; and striving to improve quality of life in the parish.
County and Borough councils (higher tier authorities) are responsible for providing and maintaining many of the services. Residents, however, may sometimes prefer to contact their Parish Council in relation to local matters because of their smaller, less intimidating size and because they may be more in touch with their community’s needs.
The Parish Council must be notified of any planning application or highway development planned for the area – which they will then consider and make such comments or representations upon them as they think appropriate in the interests of the community. On some occasions the Council’s approval is also needed for any work to go ahead.
The Parish Council is by law entitled to raise money from the residents of the parish in order to allow them to conduct their business. This sum of money raised is referred to as the ‘PRECEPT’ and it is collected by the Principal Authority (Pendle Borough Council) on behalf of the parish by way of the Council Tax and appears on residents Council Tax bills as a separate item (although collected as part of the whole).
Old laund Booth Parish Council therefore exists to protect the interests of our community, to maintain and improve the quality of village life for all residents and ensure improvements are made whenever appropriate and the budget allows.
The Parish Council is not, however, a clearing house for complaints regarding the service delivery of higher tier authorities which should be normally addressed in the first place to the responsible authority concerned.
Legal Obligations of the Council
The Council conducts its affairs in accordance with recommended codes of practice and ruling legislation, including a Transparency Code under which various matters (such as Council Meetings, Minutes, Accounts and financial information) must be made available for public scrutiny. These matters are covered in the pages and links on this website